Hurling to pave way for Johnston

Seánie Johnston is all but certain to be available for Kildare in Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final against Meath as he is set to line out for Coill Dubh’s senior hurlers tomorrow evening.

As the affiliated hurling club of his new football club St Kevin’s, Johnston will fulfil the GAA’s new inter-county eligibility rule if he plays a part in their championship game against Éire Óg-Corrachoill in Clane.

The Irish Examiner understands Johnston could meet with the Coill Dubh panel for the first time this evening.

Team manager Trevor Carew is the brother of Kildare selector Niall, while Morgan O’Callaghan, the Kildare team’s liaison officer, is part of the Coill Dubh management team, as well as a player. Niall Carew is also a member of Coill Dubh.

Club chairman Tommy Flaherty said the decision to play Johnston is entirely up to the management team. “He is a registered club member with Coill Dubh,” stated Flaherty. “We, as a club, appointed a management team in January to pick our senior team and look after our senior team for the year.

“So it will be down to them as to whether Seánie Johnston togs out and plays for Coill Dubh on Saturday evening.”

However, the prospect of former Cavan player Johnston lining out for the hurlers has caused unrest within the club. Johnston may yet address the Coill Dubh players this evening in an attempt to explain his circumstances.

Earlier this month, club secretary and PRO secretary Leonie Delaney raised concern about how Johnston’s participation in the game would reflect on Coill Dubh.

However, one club member informed the Irish Examiner that they “have to wear the white jersey on this occasion”.

Earlier this month, the Kildare County Board, seeking clarification, were told by the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee that Johnston could represent Kildare were he played for Coill Dubh in a championship game.

Following Kildare’s recent win over Offaly, manager Kieran McGeeney said he hoped to have Johnston “available at some stage of the season”.

St Kevin’s vice-chairman John Noone had initially dismissed the idea of Johnston playing for Coill Dubh. “The first I saw of it was on Facebook when some bright spark came up with the idea,” he said.

Tomorrow evening’s Kildare championship game has generated a lot of interest, with RTÉ cameras expected to be in attendance.